Arts world comes out to play for the public on No-Car Day
Designated as European Day of Urban Transportation, tomorrow (Saturday, September 22) is an occasion for city residents to become less dependent on private cars and rely more on public means of transport. To mark the occasion, the Ministry of Transport is holding a series of musical, theatrical and artistic events at the Panathenaic Stadium, with events commencing at 5 p.m., inaugurated by Transport Minister Christos Verelis. In what promises to be a colorful day, starting at 10 a.m. tomorrow the Carpe Diem graffiti team will be working on three tableaux throughout the day. A vivacious team of clowns, stilt-walkers, jugglers and cheerleaders will follow at 4.00 p.m., while at 5.30 p.m., singer Agni and her band will be performing for the children. The Lavrion Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir will take over at 6.30 p.m. The 45-member orchestra will be joined by singers Sofia Kapetanakou, Gina Fotinopoulou, Cosmas Athanassiadis and Eftihis Zarb, presenting a program of songs from musicals as well as popular Greek tunes. Created by Nikos Hadzipappas, The Street Theater – School of Jesters will perform their unique show The Craze of the Day, based on the principle of communication between actor and audience. This performance is scheduled for 7 p.m. Just after 8 p.m., Nikos Touliatos and the Echodrassi percussion ensemble will offer a musical journey with instruments in this vivacious performance, accompanied by mezzo-soprano Electra Varga and Pandelis Paschalides on wind instruments as well as dancers Gotia Dimitrakopoulou, Katerina Kortikki and Cleo Plaka. The Cammerton jazz and classical music ensemble will follow at 9.30 p.m., with ragtime, swing and Latin tunes. Sandouri virtuoso Aristidis Moschos will end the evening with folk, rebetica and other popular Greek songs. In addition to commemorating existing means of public transport, the ministry will be announcing the introduction of two new services. The city’s new Athens Tram Network will begin functioning in time for the 2004 Olympics; also, before the end of this year, a special bus service will begin taking passengers to archaeological and cultural locations throughout the city. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will perform at the Herod Atticus Theater on September 24 and 25 and at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall on September 27 and 28. (Performances at the Herod Atticus Theater start at 8.30 p.m.) Herod Atticus Theater, Dionysiou Areopagitou, tel 323.2771, 323.5582. Tickets are available from the Hellenic Festival box office, 4 Stadiou, in the Spyrou Miliou Arcade, tel 322.1459. For Thessaloniki, contact the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, 25th Martiou, tel (031) 895.800.
